Blair Powell

On Friday, February 26, 2016, the District of Columbia Public Service Commission (the “Commission”) denied approval to Exelon’s $6.8 billion acquisition of Pepco Holdings, which would have made Exelon the largest electric utility in the United States.  Commissioners Betty Ann Kane and Joanne Dotty Ford...

We’ve examined in detail the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (“DEQ”) changes to implement Virginia’s 2009 “Small Renewable Energy Projects” legislation (VA Code 10.1-1197.6). The statute moved authority from the State Corporation Commission (“SCC”) to DEQ over protection of natural resources (specifically wildlife and historic...

On Tuesday, February 9, 2016, the United States Supreme Court held in a five to four decision to halt enforcement of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan by the Obama administration until its legal challenges are resolved.  The challenge to the Clean Power Plan...

Dominion Resources Inc. (“Dominion”) announced Monday, February 1, 2016, that it plans to purchase Utah-based Questar Corporation (“Questar”), a natural gas distributor, for approximately $4.4 billion in an all-cash deal.  Purchasing Questar will expand Dominion’s customer base to customers in Western states.  With Questar’s acquisition,...

As we previously discussed here, any person or entity who wishes to participate as a respondent in Dominion Virginia Power’s (“Dominion”) application for approval and certificates of public convenience and necessity to construct and operate three utility scale solar electric generating facilities must file a...

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="178" class="zemanta-img"] (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption] On December 21, 2015, Governor Terry McAuliffe announced that, as a way to continue momentum in Virginia’s solar industry, state agencies will derive eight percent (8%) of their energy from solar sources within the next three (3) years. ...

Dominion Virginia Power “Dominion” plans to solicit its second round of bids for a 12-megawatt offshore wind farm off the coast of Virginia after rejecting an earlier proposal that was too costly.  As proposed, the wind facility will consist of two 6-megawatt wind turbines in...

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="261" class="zemanta-img"] monokristalline Solarzelle (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption] The Richmond Community Solar Co-Op announced it will hold its next public information session on December 17, 2015 at 6:30 p.m. at the Glen Allen Library located at 10501 Staples Mill Rd, Glen Allen, Virginia 23060. The Co-Op consists...

The Virginia State Corporation Commission (the “SCC”) issued a Final Order on October 20, 2015 (the “Order”) denying Dominion Virginia Power’s (“Dominion”) application to construct and operate a 20 megawatt utility-scale solar electric generating facility near the town of Remington in Fauquier County, Virginia (the...

On October 5, 2015, the Richmond Times Dispatch included an article on the ongoing debate between utilities and renewable energy advocates as to how Virginia will comply with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s new Clean Power Plan.  The Clean Power Plan obligates states to...